From: The North of England Institute of Mining and Mechanical Engineers Transactions, Vol. XIX (1869-70), p113-167
Part 1
THE mineral resources of the province of Nova Scotia have only of late years received that attention to which their extent and value certainly entitle them. Whether as regards the more recent development of a large tract of auriferous rocks, or the older and rapidly extending operations in coal, there are few countries that offer greater scope for mining enterprise, or are more likely to reward, and that liberally, the judicious capitalist.
The geological features of the province are interesting and peculiar. On the southern shores a range of metamorphic rocks, of the usual apparently barren aspect, extends the entire length of the province, and is spread inland a width varying from fifteen to thirty miles; while on the northern shore, including the island of Cape Breton, the Carboniferous formation prevails to a greater or less extent, almost from its eastern to its western limit. Having, in 1865, been honoured with the appointment of Provincial Government Inspector of Mines, the writer has, in the exercise of his duties, become acquainted with all the districts in which mining is being carried on, and purposes in the following pages to give a brief description of the different coal-fields that have been opened, with such particulars respecting them, and of the coal trade generally, as will, it is hoped, be considered a not unacceptable addition to the knowledge of "our coal-fields." It may be remarked, at the outset, that although the existence of large deposits of coal in different parts of the country was net unknown, it was not until a change in the tenure, occasioned by the transfer of the mineral rights from the Imperial to the Provincial Government, that a knowledge of the wealth of the province in this particular mineral became general. For many years the General Mining Association of London were sole possessors of the mineral rights. It would be foreign to the subject of this paper to state how so valuable an acquisition was obtained; the story is associated with the days of the Georges," which happily will not bear comparison as respects regale every-day life with the Victorian period, in which it is our good fortune to live.
On the cessation of the monopoly, by agreement, in 1857, certain tracts were reserved by the Association, and the remainder was vested in the Crown for the benefit of the province. These reserved tracts or mining areas vary in extent from two to about twenty square miles, and are situated in different localities; they are subject to the same royalty, and are held in nearly all respects in the same manner as others subsequently granted. As soon as this arrangement was completed, a code of laws was framed for regulating the letting and working of the mines, and the various districts were thrown open to the public. Licenses to search for minerals were eagerly taken out, and explorations were so vigorously prosecuted that there are now upwards of thirty collieries in addition to those o£ the General Mining Association; and the yield of coal has risen from 267,496 tons in 1869 to 566,779, the average of the last four years.
As may be expected with so recent a development of the mineral resources of the province, much has yet to be done to prove the extent and shape of the different coal-fields. The accompanying map of Nova Scotia and Cape Breton conveys, therefore, but an idea of their relative position. According to the present knowledge of them, they appear to be nine in number; it is probable, however, that future explorations will reduce the, number by proving a connection and showing that their apparent isolation is attributable to denudation and the usual wasting of sea margins.
Although there are several tracts of carboniferous formation in various parts of the country (see Plate XXV.), it is remarkable that the largest and most valuable are situated near and along the northern shores of Nova Scotia, and over a considerable portion of the northern and eastern shores of Cape Breton. The geological structure of the province, as ascertained by the invaluable labours of Dr. Dawson, a native and an eminent geologist, sufficiently accounts for the apparent peculiarity. The southern coast, as has been stated, consists of Silurian rocks, the bare and rugged aspect of which, with their deep indentations forming magnificent land-locked harbours, is in striking contrast with the gently undulating and cultivated hills and dales which usually characterize the more recent and valuable deposit. The most westerly situated of the coal-fields is in the county of Cumberland (see Plate XXVI.), the south or Joggins shore of which has obtained a well deserved geological fame. In the cliffs of this shore there is exhibited an extended section of carboniferous strata which is perhaps unequalled; it has been examined by Sir Charles Lyell and other eminent geologists, and the members of it have been carefully measured by Sir William Logan. For a distance of nearly ten miles along the shore, bed after bed is exposed, to an aggregate thickness of upwards of 14,000 feet. In an economic point of view, however, the section is not of that importance which the thickness of the measures might be supposed to imply; for although there are over seventy beds of coal, there are only three of a workable size. Two of these are worked at the Jo-gins Colliery which is situated near the shore and on one of the tracts held by the General Mining Association. The following section of that portion of the measures in which these seams are found will convey an idea of the character of the stratification and show the relative position of the seams. The dip of the strata is to the S. W. at an angle of 19°.
Ft. In.
Grey and black shales 1 4
Coal 9 8
Under clay 3 9
Sandstone and shale 12 6
Under clay 1 6
Coal 0 1
Sandstone and shale 16 0
Ditto, grey 7 0
Grey shale 4 0
Grey sandstone 4 0
Grey shale 0 6
Coal 3 6
Shale lain, or King's seam 1 6
Coal 1 6
Under clay, sandstone, and shale 27 6
Grey shale 4 0
Grey sandstone 2 0
Grey shale 6 6
Coal 0 1
Grey shale 0 l
Coal and shale 0 01
Sandstone and shale, with ironstone bands 17 9
Coal 0 1
Sandstone and shale 16 4
Coal 0 3
Under clay 0 6
Coal-Queen's seam 1 9
Shale 4 4
Coal 1 0
Under clay 3 0
Sandstone and shale 119 0
Coal Under clay 0 2
Coal 0 2
Sandstone and shale 152 0
Coal Sandstone and shale 35 6
Coal and shale 1 0
Sandstone and shale 140 8
Coal Under clay and shale 15 0
Sandstone and shale 4'3 0
Coal and shale 1 2
Sandstone and shale 17 10
Coal, Sandstone and shale 23 0
Coal Under clay 2 0
Sandstone and shale 183 0
Coal Under clay 2 0
Sandstone and shale 19 0
Bituminous limestone 3 0
Coal, with partings of clay 2
Under clay 1 6
Sandstone 5 0
Clay 6 0
Sandstone and shale 18 0
Coal Under clay 1 0
Sandstone and shale 38 0
Coal 0 5
Bituminous limestone 0 4
Coal Under clay 1 6
Sandstone and shale 133 0
Coal and shale 5 0
Under clay 6 0
Shale 0 3
Coal, Shale 4 0
Coal and shale 0 4
Shale, Coal 0 2
Shale 0 10
Ironstone and bituminous limestone 0 3
Under clay and shale 4 0
Coal (Hard Scrabble) seam 4 0
Under clay 1 6
The beds are found in nearly a horizontal position on proceeding southwards, and there are indications of a rise in that direction. At Apple River, distant S.W. from the Jog-ins Mine about 25 miles, the formation rests against a range of Silurian rock, which, extending in an east and west direction, forms the Cobequid Mountains. A small seam of coal is said to have been found in this locality, but at present no mining operations are carried on: as that portion of the strata in which the workable seams are found does not, according to Dr. Dawson, appear on the southern side of the trough, it is probable that they are at a considerable depth from the surface; a supposition which recent explorations tend to confirm. On the northern crop of the seams several mines have been opened; the measures are, however, much disturbed by faults, and the seams are so altered in size and quality, that identification is extremely difficult. At the Victoria Colliery, for example, which is situated three miles to the east of the Joggins, there are three distinct seams, the upper of which is 1 foot 10 inches, the middle seam 3 feet, and the lower one 5 feet 14 inches in thickness. Between the upper and the middle seam there is a thickness of strata of 15 feet, and between the middle and lower about 50 feet. The lower seam is of the following? section:
Ft. In.
Coal 0 6
Shale 1 4
Coal 1 2
Shale 0 9
Coal 14 5
About a mile further east, two seams, each 2 feet 6 inches thick including some bands of carbonaceous shale, have been worked at the , Lawrence Colliery., These seams are 20 feet apart, and at the adjoining Colliery, Macau, distant 42 miles, there are three seams, two of which only are workable, the lower being 4 feet thick, inclusive of 1 foot 10 inches of shale, and the upper 2 feet 4 inches. The thickness of the strata between these two seams is here 400 feet, the other seam being 100 feet below the upper one and 20 inches thick.
Still further east, at the St. George and Chiegnecto Collieries, a seam, or rather an aggregation of seams, is worked, which is entirely different in every respect from those last named, so much so indeed that it may be questioned whether it is the representative of them or not. The following are sections taken at these collieries:
CHIEGNECTO ST. GEORGE. 750 feet east of shaft.
Ft. In. Ft. In.
Coal (coarse) 2 6 Coal 3 6
Shale 0 10 Shale 2 0
Coal 3 6 Coal 3 10
Shale 1 3 Shale 1 10
Coal 5 0 Coal 0 11
Total 13 1 Total 12 1
- So marked a difference in the size and composition of the seams would almost induce a belief that they are distinct beds of coal, the true position of which has not yet been ascertained. That great disturbances have occurred is evident, not only from the number of faults, but also from the difference in the declination of the seams. The former of these peculiarities is strikingly illustrated at the Victoria Mine. At this colliery a downthrow to the west was met with a short distance west of the foot of the slope; 70 feet further west an upthrow of 55 feet was passed through, and about 50 feet still further west another upthrow of the same size again interrupted the workings. Proceeding westward, 280 feet, they were again cut off by another upthrow of about 60 feet, and at a further distance of 80 feet they were once more thrown off by a similar sized fault. In a distance of 1,600 feet one half of the drifting was in stone.
Between the Lawrence and the Macan Collieries there appears to be some serious interruption to the continuance of the seams, as they have not been found in the adjoining property on the west of the latter mine.
The declination of the seams at their crop increases on proceeding eastward from the Victoria as far as the St. George. At the Joggins they dip south-west at an angle of 19°; at the Victoria, nearly south, 17°; at Lawrence 22°; Macan 35°; Chiegnecto 42°; and at St. George 46°.
The most easterly situated opening on these seams is the Styles Mine, which is distant from the St. George about five miles, and from the Joggins 14 miles. The seam at this mine is 7 ft. 8 in. thick, with a band of carbonaceous shale in the middle 6 inches thick; it dips to the south-west at an angle of 40°.
Whatever maybe the relation of these seams to each other, it is evident that whether they are the same beds of coal that appear on the Joggins shore, altered in position by the increase or decrease in thickness of the intervening shales, and of the coal itself; or whether they are distinct seams, they unmistakeably indicate the course of the northern side of this coal-field. Eastward from Styles' Mine the strike of the measures has been traced a short distance with little variation in their course, but whether they continue in it much further, or they trend to the south, and then westward, and thus form the eastern end of the basin, has not yet been ascertained. The latter supposition has its origin in the fact of a counter-dip of the strata being found on a branch of the Black River, about five miles to the south of Styles' Mine. It does not certainly follow from this knowledge alone that such will be the case; the strike on each side may, on the contrary, diverge northward and southward, but there seems to be little doubt that the reverse position of the strata represents the opposite or southern side of the coal-field. From this point on the Black River the strata have been traced to the south-west upwards of four miles, through what is known as the Springhill district, in which locality seams of coal have been discovered, varying from 2 feet to 132 feet in thickness. The General Mining Association have here an area of 2560 acres, near the southern boundary of which is the crop of a very fine seam; it is of the following section
Ft. In.
Coal 1 6
Shale 1 0
Coal 13 6
The seam dips to the north-west at an angle of 25°. It is underlaid at a depth of about 350 feet by one 11 feet 3 inches thick, the quality of which is also of a high class. South of the crop of this last the crops of three others, varying in thickness from 22 to 4 feet, have been found the position of which is conformable with the larger seams.
Between Springhill and Apple River little is known of the position of the measures, and the connection of these two points, in order to complete the circuit of this portion of the Cumberland coal-field,-has yet to be made. The difficulty of exploration, and the comparatively recent period within which any explorations could be made, together with the absence of the means of conveyance of the produce of the mines to the seaboard, and the consequent large expenditure that would be required to construct private railways to mines so distant therefrom, have retarded the development of this coal-field, and much, therefore, remains to be accomplished before its extent can even be conjectured. The operations at none of the mines are more than 200 yards from the crop, and the dip of the beds is such that their d3pth from the surface rapidly increases, and will probably prevent any attempt to reach the seams by deep sinking. The wide space between the opposite sides of the basin will, therefore, in all probability remain a "terra inco4nita" for some time.
The relation of the Springhill beds to those on the Joggins range has not, from the preceding causes, yet been determined. So far as the seams themselves are a means of identification, there is not the slightest resemblance; the stratification, as at present proved, affords no clue, and for the establishment of this important desideratum, the data are, therefore, entirely wanting. Any estimate of the contents of this coal-field must for these reasons be at present so purely speculative, that to impart a knowledge of its outline according to ascertained facts is all that is attempted in this memoir. It is conjectured by Dr. Dawson that this coal-field may be found to extend considerably to the eastward, and be connected with the Pictou coal-field. The carboniferous measures are certainly found at different places along the shore between Pugwash and Pictou, and although no workable seams have yet been found, it is not improbable that more extensive explorations than have hitherto been made would result in their discovery. Whether they would, even in that case, be in such a form as would confirm the supposition of their connection with the Pictou district, is a question the solution of which is in the future.
The coal in the Cumberland district is bituminous in character; it varies considerably in quality, and in some of the mines it has a peculiar angular striation, and is very much slicken-sided. This is more especially the case at those collieries where the seams are at a greater angle. It breaks from these causes into very irregular shaped pieces. At other mines it possesses a square cleavage and has the usual cubical shape when broken; the following analyses will show its general properties:
JOGGINS.
Moisture 2.50
Volatile combustible matter 36.30
Fixed carbon 56.00
Reddish gray ashes 5.20
100.00
MACAN.-
Volatile matter 37.00
Fixed carbon 59.174
Ash 3.826
100.000
STYLES.
Volatile matter 31.30
Coke 61.14
Ash 7.56
100.00
SPRINGHILL. -
13 Ft. 6 In. Seam 11 Ft. 3 In. Seam.
Volatile matter 25.38 35.39
Fixed carbon 60.95 60.46
Ash 13.67 4.15
100.0 100.00
Theoretical evaporative power 8.37
Coke 64.60
Sulphur 0.225
For the reasons already given the mines that have been chiefly worked are situated in positions that do not require expensive lines of railway to connect them with the shipping places. The coal from the main seam, at the Joggins Colliery, is raised up a shaft distant from the shore about 300 yards, and connected with it by a railway. The wagons are run down from the top of the cliff' to piers constructed of wood, which are built out into the sea, and arranged so as to form a harbour, inside of which the vessels are loaded. The hard scrabble seam is entered by an adit in the cliff, and the coal is taken direct from the mine into a covered shed, out of which it is removed at a lower level, and carried along a wharf to the ships. This is but a temporary arrangement, but it is a very usual one on first opening mines similarly situated.
The produce of the Victoria and Lawrence Mines is shipped on the River Hebert; and that of the Macan, Chiegnecto, St. George, New York, and Acadia on the Macan river.
The navigation of these rivers is of a peculiar character; they resemble large mud creeks, with deep sloping sides covered with slime, the result of the extraordinary rise and fall of the tide, 40 feet, for which the Bay of Fund) is remarkable. Vessels carrying from 150 to 250 tons are brought by the tide up the river, the course of which is rather tortuous, and on its retirement they are so fixed in the mud that they can receive their cargo without injury. When this is accomplished they float down again with the tide until there is sea room in which to pursue the ordinary course of navigation.
The principal market for the coal at present is St. John's, and a few other places along the New Brunswick coast.
The mines are chiefly owned by American companies, who have not, however, been able to send much of their produce to the States, in consequence of the heavy import duty on Nova Scotia, coal. The price on board will average 2 dollars, or 8s. sterling per ton. Freight to Boston 7s. to 8s., and to St. John's 4s. per ton.
The system of working generally followed is on the ordinary bord and pillar principle. The usual practice is to drive a slope from the crop, either direct to the dip or in a transverse direction; from the slope a pair of bords are turned on each side, and the bords are won out of them and driven sometimes to the rise, and sometimes parallel to the levels. When the dip is suitable, the coal is put down shoots or boxes, out of which it is emptied into tubs and taken to the slope or shaft as the case may be. The chief obstacle to a more extensive development of the Cumberland Coal-field, i.e., the want of railway accommodation, is about to be removed. It is fortunate for the coal interest in this country, that the route which nature has to a great extent dictated as the best for the Intercolonial Railway, passes almost through the centre of the coal-field. Skirting the Springhill district, within two miles of the crop of the seams, it takes a course towards Macan River, and thence to Amherst, in the neighbourhood of which town there is ample scope for shipping accommodation in the Cumberland basin. It will thus afford easy access to that water to all the mines at present opened on the east side of the Macan river, and will also offer an inducement for exploring the intermediate country between there and Springhill.
The position of this coal-field in relation to the markets of New Brunswick and the States, is a very advantageous one, inasmuch as from their vicinity, as compared with the eastern districts, the cost of transit must always be in its favour. From the Macan Mines, the carriage by rail will not probably exceed 4 or 5 miles to a suitable shipping place, and from Springhill it will be about 15 miles. The last-named district will also, by means of this railway, be connected with the extensive range of iron ore worked at the Acadian Iron Works, which are distant from the mines by rail about ir?4 miles; and thus these two important branches of industry will be brought into that relation with each other which will essentially contribute to the success of both.
Situated upwards of sixty miles to the east of the Springhill district of the Cumberland coal-field, is the coal-field of Pictou (see Plate XXVII.), which, whether as regards its peculiar configuration or the number and size of the seams, is one of the most extraordinary carboniferous deposits in the world. The General -Mining Association have for many years carried on mining operations in this locality, and have here a very extensive establishment, known as the Albion Mines. Two seams only have been worked to any extent at this colliery, and as they are the " datum line," if the term may be used, for all others, having been the only seams worked for many years, their position will be first described, in order that the relation to them of the subsequent discoveries and openings, may be the more readily understood.
These seams were originally opened on their southern crop, and have a dip to the N.E. of about 20'. The upper seam of these two, which is not, however, the highest in the series, is called the " Main Seam;" and, certainly, if thickness is a qualification for such a title, it well deserves this designation.
The following sections of the strata sunk through in two of the shafts, one of which, the Forster Pit, is situated near the western extremity of the workings, and distant from the other 1100 yards, will best convey an idea of the character not only of the beds in this portion of the coalfield, but also of the two seams, for which it is remarkable.
SUCCESS ENGINE PIT. FORSTER PIT.
Ft. In. Ft. In.
Surface clay 8 2 Clay, yellow 1 6
Shale and bands of Do blue 13 6
ironstone 64 10 Post 15 3
Coarse coal 0 2 Fire clay 2 6
Good do 5 0 Black shale 0 6
Ironstone 0 6 Fire clay 2 6
Good coal 14 4 Black shale 22 0
Ironstone 0 4 Dark post 9 6
Coarse coal 7 7 Shale 3 0
Ironstone 0 4 Grey post 22 6
Coarse coal 3 1 White do 1 3
Ironstone 0 4 Dark grey do 36 0
Coarse coal 2 11 Black shale 90 0
Ironstone 0 5 Brown do 60 0
Coarse coal 4 11 Grey post, with iron
Shale and bands of
stone girdles 105 0 ironstone 157 7
Bad coal 0 2 Brown shale 5 0
Good do 3 10 Grey post with
ironstone 60 0
Ironstone 1 21 Coal 3 73
Coarse coal 4 0
Slaty coal 0 91 Black shale 1 0
Good do 4 2 Good coal 10 0
Coarse do 1 1 Fire clay 3 0
Good do 3 8 Good coal 23 0
Inferior do 6 3
A striking peculiarity in these sections is the prevalence of ironstone, not only in the shale but also in the seams, in one of which, the main seam, it is regularly interstratified; the thickness of the shale is also remarkable. This singular deposit appears to increase in thickness towards the centre of the basin; a shaft, recently sunk, having passed through upwards of 800 feet of it. It is very bituminous, with much uniformity of character.
The seams have been extensively worked, but principally in an east and west direction; the lowermost levels being only 600 yards from the crop. The position of this part of the coal-field is, therefore, well ascertained over an extent of line of crop of upwards of a mile and a half. The course of the strike varies at each extremity of the workings. About midway between them it is S. 45° E., at the eastern end it is S. 35° E., and at the western end N. 66° W.
Beneath the deep seam there are others, some of which have been partially worked. The principal of these is the McGregor seam which underlies the deep seam about 47 fathoms. It is of the following section.
Ft. In.
Coal (good) 2 6
" " 3 3
Coal (coarse) 4 0
Shale 0 4
Coal (good) 1 5
Total 11 6
Immediately overlying this seam there is a bed of shale about 6 feet thick, and above it a seam of coal which varies in thickness from 2 feet 6 inches to 4 feet. Between this seam and the deep seam there are two others, the Parvis and the third coal, the thickness of each of which is about 4 feet.
Forty fathoms below the McGregor there is a seam known as the Stellar or oil coal seam. This is a peculiar deposit, and at one time attracted some attention on account of its oil yielding qualities. It was worked for a short time, and would probably have been continued but for the discovery of the oil wells of Canada and the United States. It is of the following composition:
Ft. In.
Inferior bituminous coal 1 2
Oil coal 1 8
Bituminous shale 2 0
These thicknesses vary occasionally; the general size is about 5 feet. The central or oil coal portion has yielded upwards of 100 gallons of crude oil per ton.
All these seams are conformable in every respect, and this portion of the coal-field is, therefore, in a very decided and regular shape. It will be easily understood that with two such colossal and fine seams open, the General Mining Association would have little inducement to prosecute researches for others; and beyond the fact, proved by the extension of their workings, that on the east side of East River and also towards the western end of their property, the main seam from some cause is deteriorated in quality, there seemed to be no reason to anticipate either a limitation of their working capacity for very many years, or the springing up of a competition consequent on the discovery of other seams outside of their extensive area. On the transfer of the mineral rights, however, attention was naturally directed to this district; several mining areas were taken up for exploration, and a large tract of country was speedily occupied under the different powers granted by leases and licenses. The discovery of a remarkably fine bed of coal about two miles to the south west of the Albion Mines seam was the first result of these explorations, which were subsequently increased in importance by the finding of others underlying it. The position, size, and quality of these seams gave them a character so entirely different from the main and deep seams that their identification with these appeared to be attended with more than ordinary difficulty. The reasonable assumption of a large downthrow fault to the west would partly account for their position, but the change in quality and size was less easily explained. The following is a section of the seam at the Nova Scotia Colliery, where it was first discovered:
Ft. In.
Coal 7 0
Fire clay 0 11
Coal 3 9
Stony band 0 2
Coal 6 0
Do. coarse 2 0
Total 19 10
It dips at this colliery to the east at an angle of 25°. At the adjoining collieries to the south east, the dip is rather less, and the section of the seam is also a little different as will be seen in the following:
ACADIA. INTERCOLONIAL.
Ft. In. Ft. In.
Coal 7 2 Coal 0 11
Soft clay band 0 3 Shaly do 0 1
Coal 10 4 Coal 5 3
Do. coarse 1 3 Shaly parting 0 4
Coal 4 0
19 0 Do. coarse 0 2
Coal 7 0
Do. coarse 2 0
19 9
Below this seam, 160 feet, is one 13 feet thick; and underlying it at a depth of 85 feet, another 12 feet thick, which is also underlaid with the same thickness of strata between them by one 6 feet thick. An examination of the Pictou Coil-field has recently been made under the direction of Sir Wm. E. Logan, the Director of the Geological Survey of Canada, with very important results. So far as this particular locality is concerned it may be stated that Mr. Hartley, of the survey, by whom it was examined, has ascertained the existence of faults of, great magnitude, and of other geological peculiarities, which quite account for the isolated position of these seams. Two of these faults are to the west of the Albion Mines; their course is in a north and south direction. One of them is near the western end of the Mining Association's tract, and is a downthrow to the west of probably 1,600 feet, the other is about a mile further west, and is an upthrow in the same direction, but much larger in size.
The beds opened at the Nova Scotia and Acadia Collieries are on the east side of the upthrow fault. The course of their strike is nearly parallel with it; but as the strike trends westwardly in proceeding north or south, the range of the seams is intercepted by the fault, and the breadth of coal, though still large, is of less extent in this locality, than was at first supposed. These faults intersect towards the north and the south, others running in nearly an east and west direction, and distant from each other about three miles. The one to the south of the mines is an upthrow to the south of probably not less than 4000 feet; the other, north of the mines, is a downthrow to the south of still greater magnitude. They converge to the eastwards, in the direction of Sutherland river, a short distance to the west of which river they are connected by a S.E. upthrow fault forming the fourth side of the coalfield. The difference in the position of these seams with respect to the Albion Mines series, is supposed, from strong geological indications, to be due to a synclinal shape of the measures in this part of the coal-field. The mines above-named are in this case on the western side of a synclinal, the opposite or eastern side of which does not appear in consequence of the depression and interception by the west downthrow and south side faults. On this assumption the relationship of the two localities is considered to be established notwithstanding the diversities of size and quality, which are certainly very conspicuous.
Discoveries of an equally interesting character have been made in the eastern part of the coal-field. Some seams of coal, on the east side of East River, were opened several years ago. These, from their position, appeared to be overlying seams as regards the main seam of the Albion Mines. Less interest was probably attached on this account to the subsequent discovery of other seams in this locality, than was excited by the finding of a series of beds of coal, with an aggregate thickness of 37 feet; and separated by shales and fire-clay, varying in thickness from 10 to 20 feet, on the west side of the river, and to the north of the Albion Mines, from which their crop is distant about a mile. These beds dip S. 20° E. at an angle of 65°. The crops of the seams are here in a sharply curved form, trending from the Montreal and Pictou Company's shaft in a northerly direction on each side of it. Their range in this course is, however, terminated a short distance northwards by the large downthrow fault of which mention has been made.
In connection with this fault it may be here stated that on the north side of it there is an immense mass of conglomerate of a peculiar character, which traverses a considerable extent of country in a direction nearly parallel with the fault. North of the conglomerate the measures dip towards Pictou, and contain some seams of coal, but none of any importance have yet been found.
The New Glasgow or eastern section of the Pictou coal-field presents features of an equally peculiar but somewhat more intricate character than those last described. Reference has been made to the seams on the east side of East River. A search for others was as energetically pursued on this side as on the west, and seams were found in various places and positions, which seemed to belong to an entirely different series.
The extension to the east of the workings in the main seam at the Albion Mines, and other circumstances, left no reason to doubt the continuance of the seam in that direction, and one of the earliest openings on the east side of the river was, therefore, made in that seam by the Pictou Mining Co. The coal, however, was found to be very inferior in duality; and a continuance of the deterioration having been ascertained by a shaft sunk further to the east, the operations were brought to a close and no further development in this particular locality ~as yet been made. There is reason to believe, however, that the inferiority in the quality of the coal may be confined to the edge of the crop, and may not extend far to the dip.
Immediately behind New Glasgow in a south-east direction two seams have been opened. One of these, the lowest in the order of stratification is known as the Stewart seam, and is inwards of 3 feet thick. It is overlaid by the Richardson seam, the thickness of which is 2 feet 9 inches. They dip to the south-east at an angle of 20°. The strike trends to the east in proceeding northward; southward the range of the seams is somewhat obscure, though there are indications of a similar bend to the east, in that direction. About a mile to the east of these crops, seams varying in thickness from 32 to 42 feet are found in positions so irregular and confused that identification with either of the last named seemed impossible. The personal examination of this locality by Sir Wm. E. Logan has considerably cleared away the complications which beset an attempt to connect these beds. A large fault, is found to cross the measures in a direction nearly parallel with those to the west of the Albion 11ines. It is an upthrow to the east of probably not less than 1,500 feet. On the west side of this fault, at Coal Brook, the crops of two seams appear, a short distance from the fault. One of these is 41 feet thick, and the other 32 feet. That on the north side of the brook dips towards the fault with a trending of the strike to the north and east in a very circumscribed form, as if it were the narrow end of a trough, On the south side of the brook the 32 feet seam dips also towards the fault, but with the sweep of the strike to the west and south.
In the same locality, but on the east side of the fault, a 31 feet seam has been partially worked by the Montreal and New Glasgow Co. This bed has a southerly dip with a similar sharp trending of the strike in a short distance, to that of the 41 feet bed on the west side of the fault. The measures are much broken up and confused in the neighbourhood of the fault, and operations in these seams have, in consequence, been suspended.
Between the fault and New Glasgow, and to the north of the openings on the Stewart and Richardson seams, another seam upwards of 10 feet thick was found on the same Company's property. This seam dips southward at a high angle, similar to the beds at the Montreal and Pictou Company's shaft, and was at first supposed to be a member of that series, but it is now considered to be a distinct seam.
About two miles to the east of the fault other seams have been opened, the relationship of which with any of the last-named is somewhat indefinite. Openings have been made on two of these by the Merigomish and Pictou Mining Companies.
The following section of the strata passed through in sinking a shaft on the latter Company's property will give an idea of the character of the measures in this locality:
Ft. In.
Soil, &c 7 0
Argillaceous shale 50 0
Coal Under clay 5 0
Post 4 6
Shale 12 0
Coal (splint) 1 8
Under clay 4 0
Shale 7 0
Coal 0 3
Under clay 3 6
Shale 8 0
Under clay 2 0
Hard post 25 0
Ditto and shale 19 0
Shale 8 7
Coal 3 1
Argillaceous shale 18 0
Grey metal 9 0
Post 6 0
Ditto and grey metal 20 0
Grey shale 12 0
Coal 3 11
Under clay 3 0
Freestone 1 0
Grey shale 11 0
Total 248 0
The beds are in the usual basin form, which is here narrowed to an inconsiderable width, the opposite crops of one of the seams being about 500 yards apart. Slopes have been driven in the crop of the upper seam. On the north side of the basin it dips to the south irregularly, owing to some faults, the strike being nearly due east. On the south crop the angle of dip is 14°, and the course of the strike S. 45° E. In the lower seam, at the McKay slope, the dip is 13°, and the strike S, 30 E. Two miles eastward of these mines two seams have been found, the position of which affords another illustration of the complications that abound in this part of the coal-field. One of these seams is a very fine bed of coal, 8 feet 6 inches thick. It dips to the N.W. at an angle of 35°. The range of this bed has been traced nearly a mile in an easterly direction; towards the west it is cut off by a fault, which is supposed to be either the south-side fault before mentioned, or a branch from it.
The peculiar disposition of these beds of coal will be evident on a reference to the map. Although the various openings are not very distant from each other, there is so much space between them still unproved that it is difficult to define their relationship, and some time must elapse before the extent and contents of this coal-field can be ascertained. Coal has been found at various places outside of the localities named in the preceding description; and although no seam of any importance has yet been discovered, there does not appear to be any geological hindrance to the existence of beds of a workable size in other parts of the carboniferous deposit in this country. The bord and pillar system of working is followed in all the mines in this district; ixi4eed it is, with very few exceptions, that generally practised throughout the province. The mode of extracting the coal varies in accordance with the peculiarities of each seam as regards its division by ordinary partings or interstratified bands of shale or clay. It may not be uninteresting to describe the process adopted in the large seams of the Albion Mines and in the lesser but still unusually thick beds of the Acadia Colliery. A want of uniformity of quality in the component divisions of the main seam has regulated the choice of that portion for working which was considered to be the best. A large extent of the early workings is, in consequence, in the upper part of the seam, a thickness of about 12 feet only having been mined. In some parts of the mine the lower portion of the seam has also been worked, one of the divisions varying from 3 to 4 feet in thickness, including a band of ironstone 18 inches thick being left between it and the upper works.
The following section will show another arrangement of the operations
Ft. In.
Coal 4 0 left
Ironstone 1 2 left.
Coal 9 3 worked.
Ironstone 2 8 left
Coal 8 0 left.
Coal 14 0 worked.
As the position of the pillars in each division has not been regulated by that of those first formed, bords are frequently immediately beneath pillars and vice versa, and the workings are in consequence somewhat complicated in character, and present at first sight rather a puzzling appearance. In some instances nearly the entire seam may be said to be mined at one operation; thus in working the pillars, which has lately been done to some extent, the coal that has been left will occasionally break away and expose the pillar in the upper workings, which, if the coal is considered worth taking, is also removed. This is accomplished by working the upper portion in advance of the lower in the form of a series of steps. When a portion only of the seam is worked, as, for instance, the 14 feet in the above section, it is taken out by a similar arrangement of steps or benches, a holing or kirving being made in the most suitable part for removing the upper bench; the lower bench being kept a few feet back, and mined in regular progression in the ordinary manner.
A peculiarity of this seam, and one that adds much to the risk attending these operations, is the frequent occurrence of vertical fractures in the coal locally termed "lypes." These are occasionally slightly open, forming fissures, but their general character is similar to the ordinary "backs" of most coal seams. The faces of the fracture are frequently slicken-sided, and an additional source of danger is thus attached to them, requiring great care in preventing accidents.
The bords are driven 6 yards wide and parallel to the levels; they are turned out of balance ways or headings, which are put up to the full rise at intervals of 150 yards, the width of the pillar between being from 8 to 10 yards. These balance ways are used to bring the coal down to the horse road, on the principle of a self-acting incline; the only difference being that a loaded bogie raises the empty tub to the respective bord ends, and it is, in its turn, taken back by the tub of coal, which exceeds it in weight. The bords are driven in opposite directions from these inclines, to shorten the putting.
A mode of payment has been practised at this colliery for some time, which is worth mentioning, as it possesses some advantages over that usually adopted. Instead of the price being per tub or ton, it is per cubic yard. Each place is measured once a month, to ascertain the average height and width and the distance driven; the cubical contents are then calculated, and the hewers and putters, who are-generally in sets or gangs of three or four men for each place, are paid at the agreed price per yard. At present, 41 cents. or Is. 72d. per cubic yard is paid in the whole workings, and 35 to 38 cents. = 1s. 44d. and Is. 6Qd. In the pillars. The capacity of the tub used is about half-a-ton, but as the men put their own, or at least find the putter, they have no inducement to send away ill-filled tubs, but on the contrary, to shorten the number of trips made to the balance ways by filling the tubs well; the coal is therefore built up in them near the top, and a much larger quantity is thus conveyed per tub. It will be obvious that this method has the further advantage of simplifying the keeping of the daily accounts.
At the Acadia Colliery the general arrangements for working the seam are similar to those at the Albion Mines. The seam, as shown by the section, is 19 feet thick; in the portion above the clay band, there are two distinct partings, one being 13 inches from the top of the seam, and the other 2 feet 2 inches lower. As the roof is not strong, the top coal, 13 inches, is left, and the first working is in the coal between it and the clay band, in which the kirving is made; the thickness of coal varying from 52 to 6 feet. The lower bench is then taken up the remaining thickness, less about 2 feet 6 inches of coarse coal next the bottom.
The price at this colliery is by the lineal yard: in the bords which are driven 15 feet wide, 4'50 dollars or 18s. per yard is paid; and in the levels 12 feet wide, 5'50 dollars or 22s. per yard. For these prices the hewers lay the tramway and put in all timber required.
This important coal district possesses the inestimable advantage of a first class harbour in which to ship its product. Three rivers, termed respectively the East, Middle, and West rivers unite their streams near the town of Pictou, and form, in conjunction with the waters of the Northumberland Strait, a capacious and well sheltered harbour. On the former of these rivers, and about three miles from Pictou, the General Mining Association have their staiths or loading ground which is connected with the mines by a railway, and is distant from them about 52 miles. The Nova Scotia railway passes close to the mines and terminates on the southern shore of the harbour a little below Pictou. Shipping berths have recently been erected here by the Acadia and other companies, the
distance from the Acadia Mines being thirteen miles. About two miles up the Middle river the Intercolonial Company have extensive shipping erections, and a railway from the river to the mine seven miles in length; and the Nova Scotia Company are about to connect their mine in a similar manner with a shipping place on that river. There are thus ample facilities in this respect. At the eastern extremity of the coalfield, the harbour of Merigomish will probably, in no distant day, be brought into service, and this important and valuable coal-field will possess the unusual advantage of access to shipping on three of its sides, none of which is far distant from the central operations. One drawback to this privilege is the suspension of shipment during the winter. For about four months the rivers and the harbour are frozen up, and navigation in consequence entirely stopped. During this time, however, the mines are not laid idle, but are continued at work, the coal raised being stored at bank. This necessarily involves a considerable waste of coal as well as other disadvantages (those of a pecuniary character not being the least) which appear to be unavoidable; though so far as the waste of coal is concerned suitable erections to protect it from the weather would no doubt be of benefit. A portion of the coal might also be stored under ground at less risk of injury and cost of relifting. The price of the coal on board of ship is 2-25 dollars or 9s. per ton. Until within the last twelve months it has been chiefly exported to the United States; but since the opening of the Acadia and Intercolonial Mines, a trade with the Canadian Provinces has been begun which is likely to be, largely extended. The exchange of the products of each province, where it can be effected without a strain on the natural course of such operations, must be attended with mutual advantage; and as the cost of transit by the establishment of this trade must be much less on each article than it would be if the trade were in one course only (inasmuch as vessels will be able to get a return freight in each case, and the unprofitable carriage of ballast be avoided), it is evident that the cultivation of this trade must be attended with important consequences to this coal-field. Freights average about 8s. 6d. per ton to the States or Quebec or Montreal.
The general character of the coal is bituminous, with much variation in the quality. The composition of the main seam has been alluded to as well as the changes which occur, both east and west of the early workings. An interesting series of assays, made by Dr. Dawson, gives an excellent illustration of the variableness of its composition, and of the change in quality in different districts of the mine. They are as
follows
S. E. Side N. W. Side.
Moisture 1.750 1.550
Volatile combustible 25.875 27.988
Roof coal Fixed carbon 61.950 60.837
Ashes 10.425 9.625
100.000 100.000
Moisture 1.500 1.500
Volatile combustible 24.800 28.613
Top bench Fixed carbon 51.428 61.087
Ashes 22. 272 8.800
100.000 100.000
Moisture 2.250 1.800
Volatile combustible 22.375 27.075
Bolton Fixed carbon 52.475 59.950
bench Ashes 22.900 11.175
100.000 100.000
The specific gravity of the best coal was 1288, and that of the inferior 1447; a mean of six samples from the top, middle, and bottom of the seam is 1325. A recent analysis of the seam, made by Professor How, of King's College, Windsor, gives the following
Moisture 1.48
Volatile combustible 24.28
Fixed carbon 66.50
Coke. Ash 74.24
100.00
Sulphur 0.55
Specific gravity 1.294
Theoretical evap. power 9.13 lbs.
The samples were obtained from the new opening, 300 yards to the dip of the old workings. The analysis shows a considerable diminution in the quantity of ash. An analysis of samples from the deep seam, also by Professor How, gave:
Moisture 2.54
Volatile combustible 20.46
Fixed carbon 68.50
Ash 70.10
Coke 8.50
100.00
Sulphur 1•69
Specific gravity 13.45
Theoretical evap. power 9.41 lbs.
These seams have no regular cleavage; the coal breaks off, therefore, in large irregular shaped pieces, which retain their size well "in the heap." The coal is used extensively for gas purposes in the States, and is also in much local demand on account of its purity and other qualities. The Boston Gas Light Co. state that it yields 7180 feet of gas to the ton, of 15 candle gas, and that when it is worked to high heat it yields more gas, but to the injury of the coke. At Halifax 8000 feet have been taken from it. I For general use, it is remarkable for giving out much heat, and for keeping alight much longer than other coal.
The McGregor seam, the Stellar coal, and the seam opened at the Acadia, Nova Scotia, and Intercolonial Collieries, possess the following interesting characteristics.
An analysis of the upper and lower benches of the McGregor seam gave
Upper. Lower.
Volatile matter 22.50 23.30
Fixed carbon 65.70 70.00
Grey Ash 11.80 6.70
100.00 100.00
Specific gravity 13.34 13.01
Theor. evap. power 9.02 9.51
A mixture of the two benches is said to have yielded at the Manhattan Gas Works, New York, 9,500 feet of 13 candle gas.
The Stellar coal seam, though not at present mined for the reason before mentioned, is an interesting bed with respect to its composition. The bituminous coal, the oil coal, and the shale into which it is divided have been analysed by Professor How, with the following results:
coal. Oil Coal. Shale.
Volatile matter 33.58 66.56 30.65
Fixed carbon . 62.09 25.23 10.88
Ash 4.33 8.21 58.47
100.00 100.00 100.00
An analysis, also by that gentleman, of the seam worked at the above named collieries, is as follows
Moisture 3.70
Volatile combustible 23.94
Fixed carbon 67.40
Coke 72.36
Ash 4.96
100.00
Theor. evap. power 9.26
The peculiar properties of the Stellar seam are implied in the analysis and need no further remark; these may not be so evident, however, in that last given. The seam from which the sample was taken is found to be an excellent steam coal, and to possess the important qualities of yielding very little smoke and giving a good heat. It has a more decided cleavage than either the Main or the Deep seam, and its fracture is in consequence cubical. It is obtained in large square shaped pieces, and is lustrous and clean. For domestic use it has a good reputation. A comparison of the character of the coal on the north side of the Albion Mines Basin with the recent analysis of the main seam above given, is afforded by the following analysis of coal from the Montreal and Pictou Colliery:
Volatile matter 25.40
Fixed carbon 68.55
Ash 6.05
100.00
Coke 74.60
Analyses have also been made of coal from the seams on the east side of East River. The peculiarities of composition of these beds will be seen in the following:
Volatile matter 25,4 31.4 29.0
Fixed Carbon 50.0 63.6 53.4
Ash 24.6 5.0 17.6
100.0 100.0 100.0
Coke 74.6 65.1 71.0
The first of these analyses is from the seam opened on the Montreal and New Glasgow Co.'s property, in the vicinity of Coal Brook, and on the east side of the fault; the second is from the lower seam in the section of the Pictou Mining Co.'s shaft, but taken from an opening in the crop to the south west of that shaft; and the third is from the 41 feet seam on the west side of the fault at Coal Brook.
Thirty-five miles north-east from Pictou, in the county of Antigonish, some seams of coal have been recently found, which, together with a large deposit of shale, said to be of an oil yielding character, have excited an interest in this locality. So little has been done, however, to test the value of the discovery, that the writer can but state what is conjectured respecting the form of this coal-field, as indicated by the position of the beds and other circumstances. There are said to be five seams, varying from 2 feet to upwards of 9 feet in thickness, with a dip to the N.W. of about 35°. They appear to be in a narrow trough, the northern edge of which is bordered by lower carboniferous and igneous rocks; the average breadth of the trough being about one and a half miles.
Openings have been made from the crop in one of the seams, but they are yet too limited in extent to allow an opinion to be formed of the character of the coal, and they are besides evidently in disturbed ground.
The oil shales have been examined by a provincial geologist of some reputation, and are said by him to be upwards of 200 feet thick. Some of the beds, he is of opinion, will yield from 40 to •50 gallons per ton; the manufacture of oil from these sources being, however, at present rather at a discount no attempt has been made to utilize them.
It is conjectured by Dr. Dawson, that the Antigonish basin is the southern edge of a coal-field underlying the sea, in a north-east course, and that the eastern side of it is at Port Hood, distant in that direction about 27 miles. The operations at both these places are yet, however, on so small a scale, and from their being on the crop, and therefore, exposing scarcely any of the beds, so little is known of the strata that the identification of the relative position in the series of the seams at each of these localities, assuming the connection suggested, has yet to be determined.
In describing the different coal-fields or localities in which coal operations are carried on, the writer has proceeded in an easterly direction, and as they nearly all, as before remarked, border on the shore, by continuing along the coast line they will be noticed in the order of their geographical position with respect to the starting point at the Joggins. On referring to the map (see Plate XXV.) it will be seen that Port Hood is situated in the island of Cape Breton. The northern shore of this island consists for a considerable distance of carboniferous rocks, in which there are several detached coal beds in tracts; the beds of coal in these tracts seem to be on the southern edges of a series of narrow troughs, which are separated from each other by masses of rock jutting into the sea, with, in some places, low and comparatively level spaces between them. Whether the beds fold round these intervening projections and form one large basin, or they maintain their isolation, is not yet ascertained.
At Port Hood, one seam only has been opened; it crops out near the shore, along which it extends V- miles, and trending northward at each; end passes into the sea; the extreme distance of the crop from high water mark being about 220 yards. This seam dips to the N.W. at an angle of 27°, and is of the following average section
Ft. In.
Coal (coarse) 1 0
" " with bands of shale 0 9
" " (good) 4 3
6 1
The underlying strata have been examined at various points oil the surface, over a distance of nearly three-quarters of a mile from the shore; and although several seams were found, none of them exceeded twenty inches in thickness. Overlying the seam worked, 360 feet, there is another bed the thickness of which has not been correctly ascertained, as it is entirely under water; but the crop is occasionally seen when the tide is low, and it is supposed to be not less than six feet thick. Between Port Hood and Margarie, a distance of forty-five miles, seams of coal appear in the cliffs at several places, but in a more marked form at Mabon, Broad Cove, and Chimney Corner. At the former of these the beds first reached in proceeding northward dip to the north at an angle of 70°. In a distance along the shore of about 200 yards there are indications of six or seven seams of coal, four of which are well defined; the others are evidently much disturbed, and their size and character cannot yet be declared. Of the four the lowest in the order of deposition is from 3 feet to 42 feet thick, including from 12 to 18 inches of cannel coal. Above this seam, and separated from it by only a few feet of shale, is one the thickness of which is 13 feet; and overlying this last there is another 7 feet thick, which is also overlaid by one 5 feet in thickness. About half-a-mile to the north, seams are found in an entirely reversed position, and with such strong- points of resemblance that there remains no reason to doubt their identity with those to the south of them. The measures in this locality are thus in the usual basin shape. They sweep inland a short distance from the shore, and form the eastern edge of the basin, which probably extends under the sea a considerable distance. Further north, about 1,100 yards, seams are again exposed, with a northerly dip, one of which resembles the thirteen feet seam, and appears to establish a connection with that series. The edge of the basin would seem to have been in an undulatory form, and to have suffered considerable denudation, by which the connection of the beds was destroyed. The extent which these last named seams range northwards is not yet ascertained.
At Broad Cove a seam 7 feet thick has been exposed with a northerly dip, and others of smaller size also appear in the cliffs. The position of these beds is similar to those at Plabon, but they seem to range further inland. So little has yet been done, however, to ascertain their extent, that_ a reference to them is all that can at present be said about them. Between Broad Cove and Chimney Corner, a distance of ten miles, the land adjoining the shore is for the most part low and flat, and there is not, therefore, the same facility for examining the strata. No seams, so far as the writer can learn, have yet been found between these places, and the relation of the two localities, should there be any connection, has yet to be established.
At Chimney Corner the beds are well defined. Three seams are exposed, the lowermost in the series being 3 feet 6 inches thick. It is overlaid by one 5 feet thick, from which it is separated by about 200 feet of strata; and 88 feet above this last there is another 3 feet thick. They dip to the north west at an angle of 40°. The extent to which these beds spread inland is not yet known; it is probable that like the Milabon series they are on the edge of a basin, the greater portion of which is either denuded or at a considerable depth under the sea. And it may be further conjectured that they are not disjointed carboniferous tracts but portions of one large coal-field, of which time and tide have left only these few landmarks.
The carboniferous formation extends eastward from Chimney Corner to Cheticamp, a distance of 25 miles; and although seams of coal appear in the cliffs between these places, no attempt has been made to open them, probably from their not being of a workable size. A short distance beyond Cheticamp the measures terminate against Silurian rocks, of which the northern portion of the island consists. This Silurian tract is about thirty miles in width, in a south easterly direction from Margarie, and it is on its eastern flank that the carboniferous measures again make their appearance, where they range on the same course, S.E., and form the eastern coal-field of Cape Breton. Plate XXVII1.
Extending along the eastern shore of the island, a distance of about 35 miles, and spreading inland quite as far, this formation, although productive chiefly on its eastern side, possesses an economical value that can scarcely be over estimated.
The range of the coal bearing strata over such a distance is not, as may be supposed, an unbroken one; nor is the position of the seams, as respects the order of their sequence therein, easy of recognition in the different localities into which this coal-field is divided. It has had the advantage, however, of a skilful examination of the greater part of it by gentlemen well qualified for such a task, and its general form is much better known than that of the other coal-fields.
The divisions above referred to are known as the Sydney, the Glace Bay, and the Cow Bay districts, these distinctions being local as regards the situation of the collieries, and geological as regards the separation formed by an anticlinal of a very prominent character between Cow Bay and Glace Bay, and by a similar but less defined line between the latter place and Sydney.
The beds are in the usual trough-like form between these anticlinals, and their crops have a circular or elliptical outline in accordance with the longitudinal range of the trough, and the distance between the anticlinals.
Although several collieries have been opened in these districts, and considerable knowledge has been obtained of each, their mutual relation has not yet been clearly defined; and much doubt still exists with respect to the identity of the seams in each division. As it is not the writer's intention in this paper to treat any part of the subject of it in a controversial spirit, but simply to describe the different seams in each locality, and to give a few particulars respecting the mining and disposal of the coal, he will but briefly refer to such connections as appear to be established, and will endeavour to convey a knowledge of each seam in the respective districts, and of their relation to each other, without regard to the question of geological position. It may be stated, however, that Dr. Dawson is inclined to the belief in the greater one of the Sydney series, whilst Prof. Lesley, of New York, who made an examination of the Cow Bay and Glace Bay districts, thinks the measures are identical. As some of the more striking peculiarities of this coal-field will, perhaps, be best understood by taking the Glace Bay series first, the different seams in that district will now be described. The most extensive surface development of the series is about midway between Sydney Harbour and Cow Bay; the measures are there in a very regular position, and of a broad basin shape. A section across the basin in a north and south direction exhibits nearly all the seams in this coal-field, assuming the identification of some of them in each district. They probably exceed twenty in number, with an aggregate thickness of workable coal of upwards of forty feet; there being in this section seven or eight of a workable size. The uppermost in the series is called the Hub seam; it is worked by the Glace Bay Company, on whose property it not only crops out at an extreme distance from the shore of about three quarters of a mile, but has also its northern and southern bassets. The Company is thus the sole possessor of the portion of the seam not covered by water. It dips where at present worked to the east at an angle of 5°, and is of the following section:
Ft. In.
Top coal, coarse 1 2
Coal, good 5 6
Hard band 0 11
Coal, good 3 0
9 91
It is subject to irregularities in the floor which cause it to vary occasionally in thickness, but in other respects it is a remarkably uniform and free seam of coal. About twenty feet below it there is a bed of cannel coal two feet thick, which is not, however, sufficiently pure throughout this thickness to make it workable; and at a depth. of 500 feet below it is the 11 Harbour" seam, of which the section is as follows:-
Ft. In.
Coal (coarse) 0 22
Coal (good) 1 5
Soft band 0 01
Coal (good) 3 42
5 1
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